How do 99 Speedmart, Mr DIY and ZUS Coffee choose shop locations?

Malaysia's big chains choose shops by counting customers before they count square feet. 99 Speedmart sizes each store to a fixed number of households, Mr DIY screens sites for return on investment, and ZUS Coffee plans around delivery and pickup. An independent tenant can borrow the same method: define the catchment, check access and parking, and make sure turnover supports the rent.

99 Speedmart is the clearest example of household-based planning. Published figures:

• The Edge reported new stores usually open where there are at least 1,500 households.
• Apex Research (via The Star, 21 October 2026) said each store is designed to serve 1,500 to 2,000 households.
• Founder Lee Thiam Wah told The Edge the chain opened 252 new stores in 2024.
• The Malaysian Reserve (22 September 2026) reported 3,151 stores by the end of Q2 2026.
• MIDF estimated initial capex of about RM 300,000 per store with payback under 3 years, and noted a preference for stores within 100 km of a distribution centre.

The lesson: a small-format store does not need a famous street. It needs enough homes within a short trip, a visible ground-floor unit and a rent that allows payback within a few years.

MIDF reported that MR D.I.Y. planned 185 new stores for FY25, targets 2,000 stores by 2028, and that site selection has become "increasingly disciplined, focused on high-ROE locations". In plain terms, each new store must earn back its fit-out and stock quickly. Mr DIY stores draw families and homeowners from a wider area than a grocery store, so they favour hubs with good road access and parking.

The latest count: Business Today (20 May 2026) reported 1,584 MR D.I.Y. stores at 1QFY2026, up 7.7% on a year earlier.

In April 2025, ZUS Coffee said (Bloomberg via The Malaysian Reserve) it planned at least 107 new Malaysian stores that year, had 743 stores against Starbucks' 320, and that about 70% of sales came from delivery and pickup. That changes the location logic:

• The population inside the delivery radius matters more than walk-past traffic.
• Riders and pickup customers need a place to stop for a minute.
• A compact, cheaper unit can outperform an expensive prime corner.

ZUS has kept growing since then. VnExpress International, citing Bloomberg and Global Coffee Report (14 Aug 2026), reported more than 1,000 ZUS stores, mostly in Malaysia, with a target of 1,300 by end 2026, including 200 more in Malaysia.

Each chain weighs the same factors differently. Convenience chains count households and 24-hour access, coffee chains weigh delivery radius and pickup, and Chagee pays for visibility. A main-road or corner ground floor in a mature hub meets most of these tests at once.

1. They model payback. MIDF's 99 Speedmart figure of under 3 years on about RM 300,000 is a useful yardstick. Ask yourself: at this rent, when do I earn back my renovation and deposits?
2. They avoid falling in love with a unit. Chains walk away if numbers fail. Independent owners often sign because the shop "feels right".
3. They use landlords' need for anchors. Landlords want reliable chains and sometimes advertise for them, for example a Cheras Jaya corner ground floor listing that said "prefer pharmacy, Family Mart, coffee franchise, mamak". A well-prepared independent tenant with a clear plan can negotiate like a chain.
4. They plan for the next store. Chains cluster stores in an area to share delivery and marketing.

Chains open across both premium and mass-market hubs. In our hub data, large active rental markets such as Bandar Puteri Puchong (127 rental adverts), SS15 Subang Jaya (81) and SS2 Petaling Jaya (78) are where expansion managers have the most units to choose from. Source: MCE analysis of portal adverts from the last six months (Nov 2026, shop units only, duplicate and bait adverts removed).